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Lives of cleaners 'put at risk' due to lack of Coronavirus testing - says BCC
24th of April 2020
The lives of cleaners working on the frontline in the fight against Coronavirus are potentially being put at risk because they are not automatically entitled to testing. That's according to the British Cleaning Council (BCC).
It's calling for cleaners who are supporting critical industries to be treated in the same way as other key workers when to comes to testing.
Last Friday the UK government announced a roll-out of testing to cover more key workers but cleaners were not mentioned.
The BCC is calling for key worker cleaners to be explicitly included in the list of occupations to be offered testing. Cleaners who should be offered testing include those who:
• Keep healthcare premises hygienically clean
• Clean schools and education facilities that are open for the children of key workers to attend
• Work within the food supply chain such as in food hygiene, logistics, factories, supermarkets and shops
• Clean at government buildings and prisons
• Work as cleaners at care homes.
BCC Chairman Paul Thrupp explained: "Many cleaners are making a vital contribution to keeping critical industries open and are, in the process, putting themselves just as much at risk of contracting Coronavirus as other key workers.
"They are absolutely required to be included in the list of workers who are entitled to testing. Failing to offer testing to cleaner key workers is a serious mistake which could cost lives.
"Many people throughout the cleaning industry are very worried. We are calling for the government to urgently correct this major mistake and will be contacting them directly to demand that this be corrected."
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